There is just absolutely no business sense here, and no respect for laws. The combination of these 2 factors makes completing the simplest tasks a huge freaking ordeal. I mean we have a few big chain companies (which we Berkeley hippies foolishly denounced), and they keep regular business hours and don't do completely asinine things, but the same can't be said for the local businesses, which close when they feel like it, open when they feel like it, don't have basic things like websites or even listed telephone numbers. You call a guy to fix something (an electrician or a mechanic or whatever), and he just doesn't show up. I just don't understand it. They have people willing to give them money in exchange for services, and they're too lazy to wake up and open the door for business. Sometimes I have only an hour to go do a quick thing, like make copies or return something I bought, so I run to a given store between classes, only to find it closed in the middle of the afternoon.
Also, so many people just DON'T WORK. Just one of many examples: Alexandre and I went to the supermarket the other night just before their 8pm closing time. There's a 10 items or less / seniors preference line. Fine, great, I respect that. But the supermarket was totally empty. There were only 2 cashiers working: one regular line, and this special line. We had a bit more than 10 items, but there was NO ONE else around except for the 2 people in the regular line. So we went up to the special line to see the young cashier picking at her nails.
"Can we come in this line?" Alexandre asked.
"10 items and seniors only." the girl said.
"Well sure, but there's no one else here. So can you help us?"
"I don't know, no."
Alexandre just sighed, but I couldn't help myself. "Oh my god, moça. I'm so sorry we asked you to work. Don't worry, you go ahead and keep on sitting there. I know it's so tiring."
(See what I mean about losing my patience?)
I just opened a bank account here (finally, yay!). If you've ever opened an account in an American bank, you'll know that it's a pretty simple thing. The same cannot be said for Brazilian banks. So far it's been about 3 weeks and I still don't have a card or full access to the account. One of the banks (Banco do Brasil) is government-run. It decided to open from 11:00am-4:00pm. Imagine if this happened in the US. What would the other banks do? Open more, of course, and steal all the business from the public bank. That's what capitalism should be-- trying to be better than your competition. But what happened here? The bank employees at the private banks protested to lower the bar. So now ALL banks open from 11:00am-4:00pm. Yup. 5 hours in the middle of the day, with lunch breaks. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY GODDAMNED SENSE. To be fair to the employees, they have to be there earlier and stay a bit later, but they are doing internal things and don't have to see any clients. If anyone can enlighten me on why the bank's schedules are so retarded, please do. Alexandre says "because bank tellers are effing lazy", and I'd like to think there's more to it than that, but I can't be sure.
The bank's website has online banking. I tried to sign up for it, but it didn't work. Then I went into the bank this morning and tried to make a deposit, but it didn't work. So then I had to go back during business hours to talk to someone, but the lady who has been "helping" me open my account was on her lunch break (it was 11:45am. Poor thing. 45 minutes of work is so tiring). So I had to wait for another guy, and explain my situation. He informed me that the central branch had released my account number (which I got from the lady when I called her on Monday to ask her what the hold up was), but that no one had gone into the system to officially "turn on" the account. (So basically when I called the lady, she saw that I had a number, but she didn't take the 30 seconds to activate it.) So he did that, which also was necessary to order my bank card (so that means if I hadn't gone in to ask, or if I hadn't tried to make a deposit without the card, who knows when it would've been ordered?). So at least this guy was pretty on the ball. But when I explained to him about the online banking thing, he said that savings accounts can't use the online banking. So then I asked if I could have one of those little checkbook balance logs (that was kind of hard to explain in Portuguese). He said they didn't have them. So I asked him how I was supposed to check and maintain my balance, because the ATM charges if I print out a statement more than twice a month. His answer? "You can make a spreadsheet in Excel or something." Fabulous. Amazing customer service.
My other issue is just the day-to-day every-man-for-himself lawlessness exhibited by the people around here. You see it most in transit, with the rampant red-light-running, drunk-driving, going-the-wrong-way-on-a-one-way-street madness. My students love to complain about their government and how the Brazilian government has so much corruption. Here's my take on it: the government may be corrupt, but the government is not an abstract idea. It's made up of people, and these people represent people. So many Brazilians have no qualms of committing their own acts of corruption on a daily basis. It's the cashier guy on the bus who pockets the fares. It's the doctor who doesn't pay his taxes. It's the copy place that makes illegal copies of books to make a quick buck at the expense of laws and the publishers. It's the people who go into Paraguay and bring back suitcases full of crap to sell in their hometowns, again to make a quick buck at the expense of Brazilian factory workers and businesses. It's the cop who accepts bribes from drunk drivers. It's the bouncer who lets 14-year-olds into the bar and the bar owner who ignores it. It's the guy who knows a guy who can clean your "points" off your driving record illegally. It's my neighbor who leaves her trash in the building's closed hallway because she's too lazy to go down the stairs to take it out, but she doesn't want to smell it inside HER apartment (so everyone else has to smell it instead) (yes, I knocked and her door and said something).
These are all things that I've seen personally, and I could go on.
This is not a far-away idea of a "corrupt government." These are individual people making individual decisions. And then some particularly ignorant people have the nerve to complain to ME and blame ME for America's tough immigration laws. I'm gonna be the one to say what people are thinking: If Brazilians want to live in a better place, BE BETTER. Act better. Make your own country better instead of just trying to run away from it.
Yes, I know I'm gonna get all kinds of Brazilians leaving comments on here that "well, America has problems too! Bad things happen in America, too!" That's right, they do. And when I lived there, I complained about it. And if you live there for a while and feel like you're always trying to do the right thing only to be counteracted by everyone else doing the wrong thing, you can complain about it. And I live here, and I'm allowed to complain about it. The problems of the two countries are not mutually exclusive.
I'm tired of having to keep my mouth shut all the time because "I'm not from here" so my criticisms are somehow more offensive than the criticisms from a native-born Brazilian. I am not an American ambassador. I try to be optimistic and to focus on the good things about this country, but at the end of the day, I'm just one regular person who gets frustrated when things don't work correctly.
I'm really really really hoping that Brazilian big-city daily life isn't as infuriating. Because if we end up moving at the end of the year and this shit is the SAME, I'll probably just give up all faith in Brazil, and possibly in people in general.
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Yeah, OK Danielle, but how do you really feel!? LOL.
ReplyDeleteWhere do I start? How about with our ceiling fan in the living room? A guy came out to fix it BEFORE CARNIVAL and we still have just a light bulb (sans fan) hanging from the ceiling. He had to take it to his work shop. He broke his arm some time ago so he cannot lift his hands over his head. We are waiting for his recovery...
Don't get me started about those grocery store clerks sitting all day and watching the TV and talking to each other rather than actually ringing up items (and NEVER putting stuff into bags).
If I had a Real for every car zooming past our house going the wrong way on the one way street I could retire from teaching. (It is a popular shortcut.)
How about the men peeing everywhere and the new mothers teaching thier little boys to pee into any corner?
Or the several clerks behind the counter, each of whom refuses to look up and ask "May I help you?"
and on and on...
You might want to keep your expectations that things will improve once you are in the city in check. I'm just saying.
Keep breathing. You cannot push the river.
lol, I have a similar rant about the California work ethic/professionalism I'm working on. 90% of Californians couldn't make it in the East Coast work world!
ReplyDeleteNot returning phone calls, dressing in flip-flops, calling in sick all time, store clerks chatting with each other when you've been standing there forever, never apologizing when they make a mistake, basically not giving a flying flip about your job just wouldn't fly over there!
There are annoyances everywhere you live and sometimes you just gotta deal with it (that's why it's nice to have a blog) but I will say it sounds like you have it harder than most =(
If it's any consolation, in my friend's building in Manhattan, people would "walk" their little dogs in the hallway and not pick up their crap. So you literally had to pick your way through a mine field when you went to her house!
I'm so glad I'm not alone! Big city, right, so things should work. People never show up, especially to fix things! My husband finally fixed the leaks in our bathroom and replaced the sink. Sexy, I know! They guy never came. I have to give it to him for figuring it out.
ReplyDeleteBanks are a total pain in the ass. I had to open my own account when I was subbing at EARJ. You're not allowed to use a joint account with a spouse for you own safetly. Bullshit. Anyway, I went day after day and had excuse after excuse. After weeks, and the school getting seriously annoyed with me, I went in a half hour before closing time and told the guy I wasn't leaving without an account. I had to go and get American on him. I had one an hour and a half later.
Find your place in the city! I just wrote about that. I didn't go into detail but it's my I hate Rio/Brazil spot. There and in the ocean at the beach. It's a spot where I can't help but feel lucky to live here.
Jim, I think I may have a fan guy. I'd have to find his number. Want it?
I swear, we should write the little black book of service people we can count on! nevermind, it'd be empty
Better to the city? PFFT!! My two Rio neighbours have just summed it all up for you.
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget about the bus money taker answering her cell phone on the bus (actually any staff of any business answering their phones while on duty ANYWHERE) and blatantly ignoring you while doing so. Not even a little glance, a little eye wink, a little mouthing of 'parai'. No acknowledgement whatsoever. This actually has to be my biggest gripe about Brazil. The complete lack of customer service everywhere.
I had to call my bank in Canada the other day and I almost cried at how helpful the lady was. I almost forgot that customer service actually exists in some countries.
I have learned to just go with the flow because what else can you do????
It's funny, about this "going American" thing.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend, a carioca, was having run around after run around with TIM, who were jerking him around with his cell phone. I was also having trouble with my cell carrier here in the states, and called and basically told them, like you Rachel, "I'm not leaving (hanging up?) until this is fixed." And they fixed it.
So my carioca gets it in his head that American-style customer-ing works, calls TIM and says, "I'm not hanging up until this is fixed." That didn't work so well. But the other Americanism, "Fix this or I'll take my business elsewhere," worked like a charm. The reps on the line seemed so confused by this tactic that they actually fixed his account without transferring him to half a dozen random extensions first!
But it is frustrating. And that's for us, knowing that "back home" things are usually better (although not by much, anymore it seems). I imagine it must be worse, not even knowing what it's like when things just work.
Dear Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI totally share your frustration with Brazilian supermarkets having poor customer service and I have lost my cool more than once, Carrefour and Walmart being notoriously the worst and Pao de Acucar and Extra being usually the best ones when it comes to customer service, hands down.
It is a very good idea according to my experience to NEVER ASK FIRST, trust me, the answer will always be NO!
Just go ahead and start putting your stuff on the belt, I guarantee you, it will be harder for lazy girl to shoo you off to some other cashier if your stuff is half way already on the belt or if you threaten to start a scene, they HATE confrontation.
If said girl says NO, you should immediately call the store Manager and if the store manager says NO, you should ask for the corporate address and the manager's name, you tell them you want to make sure the owners know how their customers are being treated, I guarantee you will be treated like royalty every time you come back to the store.
One thing to keep in mind, these "Special Lanes" are PREFERENTIAL and NOT EXCLUSIVE of 10 items or pregnant ladies or whatever, so if there is no one else in said category when you get to the lazy cashier, it is her job to help you, PERIOD!
I have to say when it comes to contractors, Rhode Island, London, Sao Paulo and yes, even Sao Jose do Rio Preto are about the same...
I can't hardly start to describe how many times we kept waiting for an electrician, a plumber or even a tile guy who never shows up, not even a phone call...not to mention Sears, Verizon or Furniture stores who promise you they will deliver your Washer or install your cable sometime between 7am and 9pm...Sears has never failed, but don't even get me started with Verizon...
Phone company's customer service is HORRIBLE in the US, they are also HORRIBLE in Brazil, I just HATE phone companies all over the world...
...to be continued...
Ray
Danielle,
ReplyDeleteIt really is a battle out there when it comes to being respected as a consumer the way we expect to be treated...the transfer of Customer Service Centers to India and Central America hasn't helped much lately, it fells like it is all going downhill, there is a little hope hearing that some companies are bring their CSCs back to US after much complain and lost of customers.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel, as you learn to impose yourself in stores and over the phone, things get better, you have to always keep your cool and demand what you want/think you deserve.
Regarding the banks in Brazil, you should try to avoid it as much as possible, learn everything you can about paying your bills on ATM machines or on line and try to make deposits on drop boxes inside the ATM places...most Brazilians I know avoid banks all together by doing things on line or having their company's "Office Boy" do the dirty work of standing in lines at the banks, good luck with this one, not great options on this department.
The Banks operating times is all UNION related, the Bank workers UNIONS are one of the stronger in the country, they have literally stopped the country with strikes in the 70's and 80's, the UNIONS dictate how many hours their members can work considering they are working with money, they need concentration, if they make mistakes, they pay from their own pockets, they also claim it is a risky job due to the risk for crime, you are dealing with money, there are armed security police around, there is tension in the air, yadda, yadda, yadda, long story short, they can only work with the public between the hours of 11 am and 4 pm, in some cities, they allow exceptions and Banks can open to the public between the hours of 10am and close at 3pm, it all comes to to negotiations between the bank workers UNIONS and the government.
I can almost assure you won't be disappointed with Sao Paulo, it sounds like there is more enforcement of law and rules in general, regarding respect to traffic, drinking and driving, littering etc...I just can't picture people driving the wrong way or crossing a red light in Sao Paulo, you would probably be crushed by a Bus coming the opposite way, it would be really hard to get away with such behavior in Sao Paulo.
Ray
In Brazil there is a saying that goes "You will not find a more right wing/market friendly leader than a reasonable leftist ushered into power".
ReplyDeleteYour post is interesting and revealing since it seems to convey that there is nothing better to bring an "all cultural differences are relative and not subject to wrong versus right" and "the third world poor are exploited by an evil elite and hence don't progress plus their poverty is endearing and makes them pure of heart" first world liberal to his or her senses than actually having to live and cope in a third world country.
Yeah, so much for those romantic Chomsky theories regarding anything other than linguistics.
Um, WOW. I have had those exact same thoughts times a million.
ReplyDeleteAs for whether it's better in the big city, yes and no. I did both Sao Paulo and sticksville, so I know what I'm talking about. Some things are better (customer service - sometimes), some things are worse (can we say traffic violations?!)
Dear Mr. Gritty poet,
ReplyDeleteBecause of its poor, ramble-y wording, it took me a while to figure out what you were trying to say in your comment. Your comment was mildly insulting and unnecessarily smug, but I went ahead and published it to show people what kind of stuff I get that I don't usually publish.
Just because I had a bad day doesn't mean I don't think that people are inherently good or that poor people don't deserve social programs. I also don't think you can make the very very broad generalization that "liberal= naive". I could easily argue that coddled, sheltered children of upper middle class American republicans hold naive ideas about other countries and could also do with a dose of reality from living in an impoverished country.
Being cynical and smug doesn't make you cool!!! Just stick to your Youtube videos, ok?
-----------------------------------
To everyone else, thanks for the fun comments to relate!!!
Hey Danielle! You go girl!!! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteLove reading your blog and do not get read it often but am always entertained when I do…
Have been to Brazil (BH) and will be moving next year to be with my fiancé who lives in SP, Marília and Iaras (she works with adolescents in the probation departments) – so I will have exposure to urban, sub-urban and ‘hick’ lifestyles…
For a few years I have been writing about the economy both in the USA and in Brazil – and although there is a consideration that Brazil may be the next big economy globally, my words of warning cover the lack of quality in the production of products as well as in providing services… Needless to say, hearing your day-by-day experiences as well as those of several other expats throughout Brazil has only been confirming my thoughts... My Brazilian friends like to say we (the USA) are snobbish about our competitiveness to which I ask if he roles were reversed, just how snobbish would they be… that usually kills the conversation.
The growing pains of any country shifting from 3rd world to a global competitor ALWAYS magnifies their weaknesses… not that this is any comfort to you and will not be any comfort to me once I move there… There is a saying that always keeps coming to me during such times, “When life services you a bowlful of cherries and all you have left is the pits, then plant the $#@*^$@ buggers and cultivate your orchard…” Keeping my chin up has always proved worthwhile as later many would start copying what I am doing… which we both know is the sincerest form of flattery… if they don’t? you can lead a horse to water but ya jus’ nevah can make it drink… and as Ron White says, “You just can’t fix stupid”…
Ms. Danielle- your observations are objective, astute, and also fun and honest. I laughed for five minutes straight at the entry from "The Gritty Poet." I mean, he calls himself "The Gritty Poet". What a joke. You should post more from peons like that; pretty entertaining. Miss ya lots!
ReplyDeleteMy bank card just came today, and.... my name is spelled wrong. Just... Amazing.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable. You just wrote EXACTLY I think about Brazil and Brazilians. And I am Brazilian, from Rio de Janeiro.
ReplyDeleteThe corruption thing you wrote is something I've been complaining about for years. People is even PROUD of bribing policemen. And they don't think it's corruption, or that it's a mirror of a corruption culture.
It's very sad, but what you see and what you think is true.
Ps.: Banco do Brasil is one of the worst bank ever. I love state-owned companies, but Banco do Brasil is really really really AWFUL!
Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI am loving your blog! I live in Macae RJ which is about 3 hours, depending on traffic, North of Rio. My husband and I have been here for about nine months and I can relate to everything you say. I am lucky to have such a great group of friends here to have a random venting day. We all try to laugh at the crazy stuff that happens and write it off as war stories. It is good to know that other people feel your pain! Keep up the good writing.
Boy,I'm liking your posts better and better...( I found your blog just a few minutes ago and Love it).I laughed and laughed but felt a little sad and very angry too reading it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting into words all(well most)of what I think about Brazilian culture.Believe me,it's a culture thing(I should know.I'm Brazilian -from Rio.And no,it's not any better in the big cities,sorry to say).
BRAVO and God bless America !!!
Danielle, your posts about limited banking hours reminds me of Mexico. BTW, as far as I remember, there is a Citibank branch down town but I don't know exactly where. It's been almost 30 years since I worked there. Magdala has an account with Bradesco and thinks the service is good. Her 89 year old mother has her accounts there and gets private banker service perhaps because of her age. Magdala also said they called their internet service and the technician was there within the hour. It seems they are on the street in their truck and take calls on the fly. Her mother has been using the same repairman for 20 years and he always does a good job for her. Don't forget the old rivalry joke about the Paulistas who say the Cariocas don't know how to work and the Cariocas retort is that the Paulistas don't know how to live.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, the condomio charges also include the cleaning of the public areas like the entrée and the hallways. It also include the doorman guard service which covers 24/7 which is one of the big components of the cost. I would assume the more apts in your building, the less per capita the condomio should be because there is only one doorman on duty shared by a lot more people. It also covers repairs to common area like the elevator, garage door opener, the communication system, the rugs, and the eventual repainting.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, I forgot one thing. Magdala's mother shops at Senda's supermarket in Leblon. There is a group of boys there that will bag your groceries and carry them home for you. The group is organized by a guy who keeps them disciplined and working and he is very client service oriented. You pay them something. I'm not sure what the going price is but for older woman it's well worth it. Her mother has been using this service for years and never had a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, this blog is so full of things that it keeps prompting more comments from me. Sorry about that. One thing about Latin culture that I encountered in Mexico is that when you raise your voice to complain, you become the problem and they absolutely feel vindicated from responsibility to deal with your complaint because you were rude. I was counselled by a Mexican colleague that the way to handle things is quietly and even the old arm around the shoulder method saying "Oh, you know that's not the best way to do that." They look at us Americans as overly aggressive and I've seen aggression by managers in corporate offices in the US that made me wish I were not American. So careful, sometimes being aggressive backfires on you. They will simply tell you to take your business somewhere else.
ReplyDelete